star jones, donny deutsch, and dr. nancy will be here to discuss. >> all right. then managing your money in minutes. whether it's deciding about your 401(k) or improving your credit score we'll show you quick fixes to fit into your busy schedule and boost your bottom line whether you've got 15 minutes or a few hours. and we've got the most popular baby. >>> a lot to get to. natalie is standing by with all the headlines. hi, natalie. >>> good morning, everyone. the white house bid of one-time front-runner herman cain is now in the hands of his wife. the gop presidential hopeful has come under fire following a georgia woman's allegation that she engaged in a 13-year extra marital affair with cain while the republican candidate now says he has not seen his wife since the charge surfaced and says the accusation has taken an emotional toll on her. cain says he'll decide whether or not to abandon his run for office within days but only after he meets with his wife tomorrow. wild santa ana winds are slamming southern california tod

>> well, star jones, donny deutsch and dr. nancy will weigh in on that. >> and it's probably happened to a lot of you. your outspoken uncle maybe has a little bit too much to drink at the family get together. co-worker gives you a gift. you don't have anything in return. coming up, we'll help you navigate some awkward holiday situations. >> good. that sounds timely. and also coming up this time of the year if you're bouncing from one party to the next or planning a trip for christmas bobbie thomas is here with must have items she calls them to keep you glam on the go. >> all right. before we get to all that let's go over to the news desk. natalie is standing by with a look at the headlines. >>> good morning to you all. good morning, everyone. the war in iraq officially ends today as defense secretary leon panetta announced this morning in a ceremony that ends the nearly nine-year u.s. mission there. on wednesday president obama held a welcome home celebration at fort bragg in north carolina as servicemen and women returned to their

>> we know -- >> guilty as charged. >> donny deutsch, dr. nancy jones, thank you, folks. >>> up next, toddlewood comes to "today." a creative photographer transforms toddlers into us right after this. oh, actually... t. then i'd be like, you rule! and my kids would be like, you rule! i'd be like, yes, i do rule! ohh! that rules! oh, load up the sleigh; this is going to be a great christmas. yeah. ring dinga-ding, ring dinga-ding, ring, ring, ring me up. [ male announcer ] no need to wait with our christmas price guarantee. we're so confident in our prices if you do find a lower one between now and christmas, we'll give you the difference on a walmart gift card. save money. live better. walmart. you feel it working, so you know you're ready for whatever the day brings. compared to ordinary toothpaste, you feel a deeper clean. up to a two times cleaner feeling. new crest complete. feel it working. new crest complete. the best approach to food is to keep it whole for better nutrition. that's what they do with great grains cereal. they steam and bake

they gave their first interview to dr. nancy snyderman on nbc ice rock center with nancy snyderman. >> brian from behind got punched in the side of the head. he was punched with a hay maker. >> when you say a hay maker -- >> it was a running, huge, sweeping punch. >> so a sucker punch from behind? >> yeah. and the first thing to hit the ground was the back of his head. >> the suspects kicked him over and over. it was not surprising to many sports fans. some calling ate a thug culture. brian had sensed the hostile atmosphere before the assault. he sent this text. it's "f'ing" scary here. it affects the part of his brain that affects personality. they search for signs of the old brian every day. >> what are you thinking about? >> brian is trying to are learn everything from brushing his teeth to swallowing. he's fed through a tube and needs round the clock care. he works with therapists three hours a day, six days a week. >> we'll go in tomorrow. he could be different than he was today. >> so it's day by day. >> sometimes he looki

dr. nancybroyn as brian as he continues his long and painful recovery. >> hi, i'm nanszy. how are you? >> nine. >> i heard so much about you. >> how are you? >> i'm doing very well, thank you. >> that's good. >> you are just as handsome as your sister said you are. >> that's good. >> so was what happened to brian an isolated incident? dr. nancy snyderman she has answers for you. we will have her full report tonight at 10:00 p.m. >>> this morning, 13ier old girl tells her story on how she called 911 as two men broke into her house. >> i'm 13 years old. i don't know what to do. >> i'm in my room upstairs. i saw someone looking through. >> chloe simonton side the phone with the 911 operator. she hid under and around her bed in her suburban detroit home. she kept her cool even when the robbers came into her bedroom. this morning on the "today" show she explained to ann curry how her dad always told her to stay calm and panic later. >> if i was loud i would have been found or -- they would have hear

dr. nancynyderman spoke exclusively with stow as he is on his long road to recovery. >> coming up, the gridiron matchup that could cause krid lock on the roadways. >> and no gridlock yesterday. i'll bring you an update on a deadly accident from the peninsula. w1w2 >>> welcome back to you. taking a live look outside. can you even make it out? that's the bay bridge approaching this morning. no one on the the roadways. it's still early. 4:52 now. >>> this morning parents have a new tool to make sure tb presents under the christmas tree are safe for kids. the federal government is using tougher standards to check for led in toys and all children products sold in the u.s. will have to go through independent third party testing. that testing process won't happen until after the holidays on january 1st. before then parents can report problems from products and get company responses from a new website from the consumer product safety commission. that website is saferproducts.gov. >>> it is 4:53 now. it

. >> dr. nancy, thank you for joining us.er full report airs tonight with brian williams at 10:00 p.m. right here on wbal. >> your 11 insta-weather + forecast with meteorologist tony pann. >> turning out to be a pretty nice day today and with temperatures close to 50. we will take a look at the numbers from this afternoon. the average high is only 44, above the market. 53 downtown, up 43 at the airport, and temperatures will drop off into the 30's overnight tonight. a chance for sprinkles in the forecast tonight, but most of that has dissipated. most of that is now gone. i will keep a 20% chance for now, would you have outdoor plants, most likely do not even need an umbrella. clouds shipping in our direction. the big action has been out in the plains. a huge born in the southwest producing very heavy snow in the mountains of new mexico, colorado, and denver will pick up five or 6 inches tonight. if you're traveling to that part of the country, flying out tonight or tomorrow morning, there could be a lot of flight delays. near

"rock center" dr. nancy snyderman spoke to him. >> reporter: when i visited bryan almost nine months after the attack, he was awake and getting intense therapy. and was able to hold a very simple conversation. >> hi. i'm nancy. >> hi. >> how are you? >> fine. >> i've heard so much about you. >> how are you? >> i'm doing very well, thank you. >> doing good. >> you're just as handsome as your sister said you are. >> reporter: surrounded by therapists, three hours a day, six days a week, he is working to relearn everything from brushing teeth to swallowing. the beating most severely damaged the area of his brain that controls decision-making, planning and personality. and every day, bryan's mother ann, father dave, and sisters bonnie and erin search for traces of the old bryan. >> sometimes he's looking right at me and talking to me and then sometimes it's -- there's no eye contact. we wonder, does he really understand what i'm telling him? >> reporter: doctors say bryan's speech and mobility may improve but th

dr. nancy snyderman spoke exclusively to brian. >> i'm nancy, how are you?> fine. >> reporter: i've heard so much about you. >> how are you? >> reporter: i'm doing well, thank you. you're just as handsome as your sister said you are. you can see the full interview with brian williams on "rock center" this monday night at 10:00. dr. snyderman will have more on brian stowe's recovery and more on violence among fans in professional sports. great to see he is doing so well, come so far. >>> rob, we were talking earlier about what a dry spell we are in. and we'll remain in for a while. what's your computer telling you? >> everything in the long-range forecast doesn't show change. without rain or winds picking up, we are having unusually high numbers spare the air days for december. another one tonight, into tomorrow. daytime temperatures nice. mid 60s around sunnyvale to morgan hill, look at numbers drop off. fairfield and especially concord, very chilly, clammy, cold breeze out of the east during the day. that has backed off a little bit. it did act like a fog m

we get the story from our chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman. >> reporter: two of the most popular birth control pills in use -- yaz and yasmin -- were the focus of fda hearings today about their safety. several large studies suggest the rate of blood clots with the hormone cocktail in these pills is higher than those from older contraceptive pills. in premarket testing behr pharmaceuticals found no increased risk of blood clots. >> do you all think this is some kind of academic debate? >> reporter: joan cummins's daughter michelle, an 18-year-old college student taking yaz, died from a clot in her lungs last year. >> i need my daughter back and you can't give her back, but you can -- you absolutely can prevent other mothers from have coming here with broken hearts. >> reporter: it's estimated more than 12 million women in the united states have taken yaz or yasmin. more than 100 million worldwide generating $1.5 billion in sales. the pills are particularly popular among young women. critics say a change in labeling is not enough. >>

. >> dr. nancy snyderman with nbc news interviewed stowe. >> you're just as handsome as your sister said you are. >> it's a huge step for stowe agreeing to go on camera as he continues to make a miraculous recovery. doctors say he'll be disabled for the rest of his life. this thanksgiving photo is also giving the supporters hope. many of us have followed his progress on line. his family continues to praise his determination and strength, updating the web site dedicated to his recovery. we learned stowe does not want anyone touching his feet or hands. and some lighter moment where stowe spends time with his family making christmas ornaments. >> not as far as i see it meanwhi meanwhile, the men accused of beating stowe appeared in a los angeles courtroom. both of them pled not guilty. >> there might have been many altercations at dodger's stadium that day. but i haven't seen anything that they were involved in an altercation directly with mr. stowe. >> but, today, clearly belonged to brian stowe. his

. >> dr. nancy snyderman spoke exclusively with bryan stow at a rehabilitation center in san jose, the first time he is speaking out about the recovery process and the challenges he's facing. for months bryan stow was in a medically induced coma. nearly nine months after the attack he is a wake and able to hold a simple conversation. bryan is surrounded by therapists three hours a day, six days a week. the 42-year-old paramedic and father of two is relearning basic things like walking, brushing his teeth, swallowing, even how to speak. doctors say the beating severely damaged the area of his brain that controls decision-making, planning and personality. they say bryan's speech and mobility may improve over time but they expect he will be permanently disable the. we spoke with dr. snyderman earlier today about her experience talking with bryan stow. >> the most surprising thing is bryan survived this injury. when i saw his ct st tchlt scan wouldn't have expected anyone would survive that kind of brai

they gave their first interview to dr. nancy schneiderman on nbc's rock center with brian williams. >> he was punched in the side of the head, with a hay maker in the side of the head. >> when you say a hay maker? >> it was a running, huge, sweeping punch. >> so a sucker punch from behind? >> yeah. and first thing to hit the ground was the back of his head. >> the friends say the suspects then kicked bryan in the head over and over. the brutal attack was not surprising to many sports fans, some now calling it a thug culture, and bryan apparently sensed the hostile atmosphere before the assault. he sent this text, "it's fing carry here." the beating most severely damaged his frontal lobes of his brain, the part that affects decision making, planning, and personality. the family searches for signs of the old bryan every day. >> i see you smiling. what are you thinking about? >> reporter: bryan is trying to relearn everything from brushing his teeth to swallowing. he is fed through a tube and needs round the clock care. he works wi

donny, dr. nancyrything from a new hangover pill to engagem that's coms for men. that's coming up right after this. all because so many people wanted to visit us... in louisiana. they came to see us in florida... nice try, they came to hang out with us in alabama... once folks heard mississippi had the welcome sign out, they couldn't wait to get here. this year was great but next year's gonna be even better. and anyone who knows the gulf knows that winter is primetime fun time. the sun's out and the water's beautiful. you can go deep sea fishing for amberjack, grouper and mackerel. our golf courses are open. our bed and breakfast have special rates. and migrating waterfowl from all over make this a bird watcher's paradise. so if you missed it earlier this year, come on down. if you've already been here come on back... to mississippi... florida... louisiana... alabama. the gulf's america's get-a-way spot no matter where you go. so come on down and help make 2012 an even better year for tourism on the g

rock center's dr. nancy snyderman visited stowe as a south bay rehab center. >> i'm nancy.ow are you? i've heard so much about you? >> how are you? >> i'm very well, thank you. you're just as handsome as your sister said you are. you can catch the entire interview monday night on nbc bay area. they leaked the news of the associated press. the official announcement is later today. school districts across california are going to put the brakes on a plan that eliminates state funding for school buses. on tuesday they announce sod-called trigger cuts will force the elimination of $238 for bussing beginning next month. that makes california the first state to completely eliminate funding for school buses. the largest school district has filed suit to block the cuts. other districts will have to use reserves. >> this morning a spike in kmant as tough economic times push a lot of people to charities. the request for help are up while donations have dropped. good morning, christi. >> good morning. happy friday. it's a tall order. 1600 families in the east bay signed up saying they

dr. nancy schneiderman will have health confirmation for women and breast cancer. and a new study about how environmental factors in back a woman's chances for getting that disease. that and much more ahead as we get started on may 30 morning right here on "today." >> don't forget, the baltimore connection to this morning's "today show" as some animal ambassadors from the baltimore zoo will appear live. pangolins, a chinese alligator and an african rain -- penguins. they are making the national debut. >> we have one school closings. circle elementary middle school -- not due to snow but no power. the circle elementary middle school. staff must report to the professional development center. 36 degrees on tv hill. >> coming up, a live look at weather and traffic for you. so, if the mint makes this hot chocolate cool, does the mint hot chocolate make me cool? not really. the new mint hot chocolate from dunkin' donuts. grab the cool sensation of mint today. ♪ oh, what fun it is to... get in the spirit with dunkin's holiday coffees and lattes. try peppermint mocha, ging

he is able to hold a simple conversation with dr. nancy schneider man. >> hi, i am nancy. >> hi. how are you? >> i am doing well, thank you. you are just as handsome as your sister said you were. >> he continues to get better day-to-day and doctors expect some kind of permanent disability. the two have been charged in the case and both have pled not guilty. >>> well the megamillions lottery jackpot is up for grabs and it has hit $152 million. people in hayward are telling us what they will do when they win all that money, dave? >> reporter: we are at the world's fair and things are back online now, it was tense moments for buyers and sellers. megamillions jackpot lottery is supposed to go on sale this morning. they were doing a brisk business and they had a problem with the machine that produced the tickets. after a few minutes it was solved and those with lottery fever were able to stick it out. >> do you think you will be late for work? >> i don't have to be there until 10:00. >> besides if you won you would not have to go to work anyway. >> i think it would be nice to pay off

. >> dr. nancy snyderman has that report coming up here on nbc 4. >>> that's news 4 at 4:00. news 4 at 5:00 starts right now. >>> prince george's county police investigate another deadly shooting involving one of their own. their officers have been involved in more deadly shootings than d.c., montgomery county and fairfax combined. why so many? >> sweeping changes proposed for the d.c. taxi industry. improvements that could be coming near you. why the bill could leave them looking alike. >>> help when needed the most. virginia residents struggling to make ends meet get an unexpected boost from a complete stranger. >>> good evening. welcome to news 4 at 5:00. i'm jim handly. >> we begin with the investigation of a deadly shooting of a prince george's county cop. it brings the number of police-involved shootings in the county to 15 this year. pat collins spoke with the assistant police chief about the number that seems kind of high. >> reporter: there's an explanation. if you added it all up, the district, fairfax and montgomery county, eight people killed in police-involved sh

dr. nancyan will have the exclusives straight ahead. >>> if you haven't bought all of your holiday gifts, we have gifts that are under $20, and they include toys and electronics, so if you're like me and last-minuting it, you may want to stay tuned. >>> and if you missed it last night, or saturday night the highlights of jimmy fallon's return to "saturday night live" he was not the only one who came back. >> no, it was crazy who came back. we had tina fey there. it was amazing, and i got to say it was one of the funniest. i happened to be in the audience. we'll tell you more about that. we begin on a more serious note about a 13-year-old michigan girl who was home alone when two intruders began ransacking her home. we'll talk to her exclusively but first tamron hall has her story. >> chloe synington was by herself when she found herself in the middle of a terrifying situation and police credit chloe's quick thinking to keep her safe. 123-year-old chloe symington, home alone when intruders broke

tony and kari, thank you and dr. nancyn studio 1a, that porcupine is here. we'll say hi to him and other amazing creatures. first this is "today" on nbc. >>> back now at 8:50 with "today's call of the wild." the national wildlife federation celebrated its 75th anniversary in the year 2011 and here with some of the animals that the group fights very hard to save is david mizijewsky, a natural with the nwf. what was the mission statement when this organization was founded? >> pretty much the same it is today to protect wildlife for our children's future. 75 years we've been doing that, hope to do it for 75 more years and with the help of americans we can do that to protect animals. these are animals from all over the world. is a prehensile tailed porcupine. he comes from brazil. these guys live up in the trees. they use the tail which is almost like a fifth limb, they can hold onto things with this. >> do other porcupines do not have a prehensile tail? >> they do not. the north american porcupine in the states do not have th

dr. nancy snyderman spoke exclusively with stow as he continues on a long road to recovery in san jose. see the full interview tonight at sock on rock center here on nbc bay area. >> looking forward to that. >> it's great to see that recovery. it's 5:36. great to see the california forecast as well. it's hard to believe. we're going to hit winter this week. >> it's going to be a california christmas around here. really comfortable conditions. we're not talking about a white christmas, nor a wet christmas. it looks mild. temperatures in the 60s with a lot of sunshine christmas eve and christmas day. right now we are watching for deep pockets of fog starting to drop off in places like concord and liver more. really up in napa only half a mile of visibility. expecting more of the same through the next two hour ls. once the sun comes out we don't have to deal with fog very long. i think between 9:00 and 11:00 it will clear out. 44 in santa rosa. 48 in san jose. 45 in gilroy. we have absolutely no p

dr. nancyrman reports on the game gone wrong. >> reporter: it was opening day of the 2011 baseball season at dodger stadium in los angeles. >> he does more than pull a ground ball. >> reporter: the dodgers were playing their longtime rival the san francisco giants. 55,000 fans piled in to celebrate an all-american rite of spring. in a sea of dodger blue, a small group of friends, giants fans, stood out in their orange and black jerseys. one of them was bryan stow, a paramedic and doting father. no one could imagine that trip to the ballpark would leave bryan like this, unable to walk, barely able to talk and a third of his brain destroyed. his close knit family was shaken to the core. bryan's father dave. >> what happened to bryan is so serious and daily breaks your heart to think about it. >> reporter: bryan's friends corey maciel and jeff bradrd sat down with me to give their account of that night when the say they walkeded into the parking lot after the game and were jumped by two dodgers fa

tony and kari, thank you and dr. nancyn studio 1a, that porcupine is here. we'll say hi to him and other amazing creatures. first this is "today" on nbc. the word is swapportunity. can i have the definition? swapportunity: the opportunity to swap a higher calorie snack for a yoplait light. can you use it in a sentence? mmm. swapping a 300 calorie donut for this 110 calorie strawberry shortcake is a good swapportunity. that's not a real word. oh haha it's real. [ female announcer ] delicious, creamy, yoplait light. over 30 flavors each around 100 calories. do the swap today. >>> back now at 8:50 with "today's call of the wild." the national wildlife federation celebrated its 75th anniversary in the year 2011 and here with some of the animals that the group fights very hard to save is david mizijewsky, a natural with the nwf. what was the mission statement when this organization was founded? >> pretty much the same it is today to protect wildlife for our children's future. 75 years we've been doing that, hope to do it for 75

we'll talk about that and much more with today's professional stars donny and dr. nancy. >>> and christopher plummer is going to be here to talk about the girl with the dragon tattoo here on "today." here on "today." >> phi. welcome to carmax. hi. i was on carmax dot com and i think i found the one. great car. and i think, it's right over there... (sighes)... finding your perfect car is easy at carmax because we carry only the highest quality used vehicles. and at carmax dot com, you can choose from nearly 30 thousand cars with most available for transfer to the store nearest you. so come find the one for you today... at carmax. busy day! yes it is! parked on the side of the >>> hi. my name is master sergeant jen duggan currently deployed to afghanistan. i would like to wish my husband and daughter happy holidays. i love you and miss you. bye. >> good morning. time for weather and traffic on the ones. it's 6:41 on this cold tuesday morning. i'm meteorologist symptom ketomn stormcenter 4. >>> around the region, temperatures in low and mid-20s much of the area. we're going

. >>> on a much lighter note, today's professional stars donny and dr. nancye today's hot topics, including a new pill for hangovers and the return of tiger woods, as we get started on a tuesday here on "today." joe, back to you. >> matt, look forward to it. hope you have a great day. >> thanks. you too. >>> [ baby coughing ] [ coughing continues ] [ female announcer ] more pollution from power plants means more childhood asthma attacks. [ labored breathing ] there's technology that makes the air cleaner, but too many plants don't use it. we can't wait. epa must update power plant standards to protect our kids. [ baby coughing ] in more ways than ever. and our networks are getting crowded. but if congress frees up more wireless spectrum... we can empower more people to innovate... putting momentum behind our economy. and we can reduce the deficit... with more than thirty billion dollars paid by america's wireless companies. it's simple -- more spectrum means more freedom. for everyone. no longer blame their commute for making them late. >>> good morning. weath

dr. nancy schneider will have more on his recovery and more on violence among fans in professional sports. we'll have more tonight at 11:00. >>> in the meantime there is a new delay in the case against the two men charged with beat pg stow. they will moved the hearing to january. the two suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges in august. prosecutors say their case is made on incriminating statements made by sanchez and norwood. it alleges sanchez was involved in attacks on two other people at dodgeratta s oumdin opening day. >>> new at 6:00 a contra costa county jewish center will close its doors tomorrow leaving hundreds of people with nowhere to go. the j.c.c. sent e-mails to staff and members yesterday blaming financial issues for its sudden closure. traci grant is live in walnut creek, and people have to be scrambling to figure out what to do. >> jessica, people coming in and out of this jcc tonight are having trouble believing this place is going to shut down tomorrow with so little not

dr. nancyrman will have new information on two new drugs showing promise in the fight for breast cancer and how environmental factors impact a woman's chances of getting that disease. we have that story and much more ahead as we get started on a thursday right here on "today." back to you. >> looking forward to it. thanks very much, matt. >> thanks. >>> 6:38 now. it is 35 degrees ahead. it is just a drill. why the military will be firing shots outside the pept gone. >> and this morning, there is no snow to speak of, but there is a big weather chang. you're going to notice when you walk outside, you'll need shoes. that's a hint. >>> good morning. 6:41 on this thursday morning. this is where we were yesterday around around 6:30. pockets of rain around maryland, the district of columbia. in far western maryland, that was snow. as we got into the middle of the evening, around 9:00, 9:30 or so, that snow moved east. as well as the storm picking up speed. so there just didn't -- they didn't have enou

we'll get the low down from dr. nancy snyderman. >> all right. >>> also we begin with the arrest of former penn state assistant football coach jerry sandusky on charges based on the claims of two new accusers. nbc's national investigative correspondent mikchael isikoff has the latest on this story. >> reporter: good morning, ann. for the first time jerry sandusky spent the night in jail. his attorney hopes to post a $250,000 cash bail and get him out later this morning but if he does he'll have to wear an electronic monitor under house arrest as the case proceeds to court. without warning, state police arrested jerry sandusky at his house on new charges of child sexual abuse. wearing handcuffs under a penn state track suit sandusky is now accused of abusing two more boys both between the ages of 10 and 12 at the time of the assaults. prosecutors say one series of assaults started 14 years ago. all total ten boys have now alleged abuse by sandusky. the latest charges involved an accuser identified as victim 9 and may be th

it's different than good looking. >> star, donny and dr. nancy some money and time-saving meals for the busy holidays, right after this. [ female announcer ] ornaments are not for decorating. dad. did you know it's 22 days, 11 hours and 2 minutes to christmas? [ mumbling ] ...enny days, 8 hours, 9 minutes... 18 days, 17 hours... [ mom ] let's go, young lady. [ female announcer ] they're for building excitement for christmas. 12 days, 18 hours... come on. it's no days! [ female announcer ] the hallmark countdown to christmas ornament. 5 hours and 59 minutes and 41... 40...39... 38...37...36... hershey's air delight. experience light and airy, melty bubbles. made from pure, delicious hershey's milk chocolate. hershey's air delight. make the best vehicles in america... and once a year offer them with special savings. today, it's a phenomenon. toyotathon is back. see the reinvented camry, named a 2012 "best resale value" by kelley blue book's kbb.com. and with amazing deals, now's the time to get the toyota you've been waiting for. others have tried

and dr. nancyhave reports on two new drugs showing promise in the fight against breast cancer and how environmental factors impact a woman's chances of getting that disease. we have that and much more ahead as we get started on a thursday morning on "today." >> thank you very much. here's news concerning mr. lauer. we could get updates from ryan seacrest. nbc is pursuing him as a possible successor to matt lauer. lauer's contract is up next year. three top nbc executives met with seacrest on tuesday evening, but they stress the talks are preliminary and could fall apart any times. he's also a host and producer for several shows on the e! network which is also owned by nbc. >> only because we won't let him take this guy, scott mcgrew. >> well, good morning to you. the dow industrials are down this morning. we take a look at the new york stock exchange. we have a bit of good news. number of people filing for first-time jobless claims dropped enormously. the lowest level we've seen in nine months. why

dr. nancy snyderman spoke with stow.rview on rock center here on nbc bay area. >>> well, the "today show" starts in less than five minutes. here's ann curry to show us what they're working on today. >> good morning, and coming up here on a monday morning on "today", we're following the breaking news out of north korea. the death of kim jong il t the country's supreme leader, who is now in charge and what does it mean for the united states? we'll have complete coverage coming up this morning. also ahead, a major winter storm that's pounding new mexico, set to make travel a nightmare in parts of the south, up to a foot and a half of snow expected in some areas. so al will have the latest on that forecast. >>> also a runaway cart barrels down the field of a high school football game in dallas, injuring seven people. we'll get the latest on what happened there. also a last-minute gift idea for $20 or less for everyone on your holiday list. those stories and the girl with the dragon tattoo stops by our studio. we get started

dr. nancy snyderman is nbc's chief medical editor.rning to you. >> good morning. >> can you describe what went on 30 seconds ago? >> no we can't. no. >> okay. i'm just not going to be able to focus but go on. >> no we can't. just ignore that everybody. let's get to our hot topic. alec baldwin, airplane etiquette. what do you guys think about this? everyone probably knows he was kicked off an american airlines flight because he wouldn't turn off his ipad. he was playing a scrabble game basically before the flight took off. did he behave badly, star? >> well, yes and no. no because we've all done it, not turned our stuff off when we're supposed to. yes, when you are abusive and rude to people who are working and just simply doing their jobs. none of us like the rules but then get on your own damn plane. the point is, these people are doing their job and you cannot be rude to working people because i'm one of these working people. >> i have to tell you my dad taught me this. the way i judge a person, everybody -- it's easy to treat the p

dr. nancyl have the exclusives straight ahead. >>> if you haven't bought all of your holiday gifts, we have gifts that are under $20, and they include toys and electronics, so if you're like me and last-minuting it, you may want to stay tuned. >>> and if you missed it last night, or saturday night the highlights of jimmy fallon's return to "saturday night live" he was not the only one who came back. >> no, it was crazy who came back. we had tina fey there. it was amazing, and i got to say it was one of the funniest. i happened to be in the audience. we'll tell you more about that. we begin on a more serious note about a 13-year-old michigan girl who was home alone when two intruders began ransacking her home. we'll talk to her exclusively but first tamron hall has her story. >> chloe synington was by herself when she found herself in the middle of a terrifying situation and police credit chloe's quick thinking to keep her safe. 123-year-old chloe symington, home alone when intruders broke into

nbc's chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman is here to explain.ard of this. >> it's a new term and a lot of people probably haven't heard about it. but you have probably heard about it many times. that is where there is this low-pitched vibrato sound. where does it come from and what does it mean? it is no surprise what we see in the movies and on tv can influence our style in fashion, but it doesn't end there. for years, what we hear has influenced the way we talk. >> oh, as if! >> whatever. >> reporter: these familiar vocal patterns quickly made their way into speech. >> shut up. >> reporter: and now experts say they're noticing a new speech pattern creeping into the conversations of college-age women. they call it vocal fry. ♪ wake up in the morning feeling -- ♪ >> reporter: common in pop culture. >> before i leave brush my teeth. >> reporter: it's a low, stacatto vibration produced by a low fluttering of the vocal cords. >> it sounds something like this. ah-ah. >> he designed it on photo shop himself. >> it perplexed me for a long time because

. >>> also, star, donny, and dr. nancy the professionals are back for another installment.liday season and a lot more. >>> first let's check your weather with mr. roker. >> we'll show you as we look ahead toward the weekend saturday on the east coast looks good with the exception of the eastern coast of florida looking at heavy rain in texas into the mid mississippi river valley with snow in the northern mississippi river valley and the rockies. then on sunday, sunny and mild. along the east coast a little chilly. northern new england more heavy rain in the mid mississippi river valley. snow back through the central plains. sunny skies up and down the west coast though it is going to be a little o a >> good morning. we're off to a chilly start on this thursday. we will be a little below average temperature-wise. >>> that's your latest weather. make sure you check your weather two or three times a day on weather channel on cable or weather.com online. >>> now let's say hello to actress leah thompson we just saw collecting toys a few moments ago. good morning to you. >> good

his nomination also had the support of dr. nancy nielsen, who is the past president of the american medical association, john rother, who is the former executive vice president of the aarp and former republican senator from minnesota, our former colleague, dave durenberger. in fact, newt gingrich even saluted dr. berwick for seeking a -- quote -- dramatically safer, more effective and less expensive system of health care. end quote. during his tenure as c.m.s. administrator, the few months he has been in that position, dr. berwick has been able to implement impressive reforms, including launching the new c.m.s. innovation center that will test new health care delivery models that emphasize primary care and in-- innovative ways to finance health care. he has also instituted a financial incentives program for physicians who use electronic health records, and generally he has set the tone for health reform to take root and to provide americans with affordable, high-quality health care in a cost-efficient manner. to be perfectly clear,

dr. harrell and nancy also make clear, it is also about the future of our military.all-volunteer military. so want to begin with setting the stage for the report, um, and the findings in the report with the co-author, dr. harrell. >> thank you. thank you to everyone for joining us today both here in this room and also online. thank you especially to my coof panel members for bringing your tremendous expertise to today's discussion. one challenge of the topic of suicide is that research is unable to quantify fully the number of lives that are saved by the tremendous efforts of individuals such as general chiarelli, dr. jan kemp who devote considerable energy for our veterans. today's panel is the first event of our joining forces initiative at cnas. as an independent partner to the white house's joining forces initiative, cnas has determined our joining forces research agenda to include research and analysis in three areas; employment, education and wellness. as those areas pertain to veterans, service members and to military families. this work on military suicide wa